Definition and characteristics of food flexible packaging
Food soft packaging refers to the packaging made of soft materials (such as plastic film, aluminum foil, paper, etc.), which is used to package food, protect its quality and extend its shelf life. Compared with traditional rigid packaging, food flexible packaging has the following characteristics:
1. Lightweight and easy to carry
Food soft packaging is usually made of lightweight materials, so it is lighter and more convenient to carry and store than rigid packaging. This is especially important for some foods that need to be eaten outdoors or on the road.
2. Good sealing performance
Food soft packaging materials usually have good sealing performance, which can effectively prevent water evaporation and odor volatilization in food and maintain the taste and freshness of food. At the same time, excellent sealing performance can also avoid the contact between food and external air, moisture and bacteria, and effectively prevent food deterioration and pollution.
3. Strong deformability and plasticity
Food soft packaging is made of soft materials, which can be deformed according to the shape and size of the packaging content, thus providing better packaging adaptability. In addition, the flexible packaging material has good plasticity and deformability, which is helpful to package food into bags, bags, bags, packaging, etc. of various shapes to meet the needs of different food packaging.
Common materials and technology of food flexible packaging
Common materials of food soft packaging mainly include plastic film, aluminum foil and paper.
1. Plastic film
Plastic film is one of the most widely used food soft packaging materials at present. Common plastic films are polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polyester (PET). Plastic film has good flexibility, transparency and water resistance, and is widely used in packaging all kinds of foods, such as snacks, drinks, fast food and so on.
2. Aluminum foil
Aluminum foil is a kind of material with oxygen barrier, moisture resistance and barrier performance, which is often used in soft packaging for long-term preservation of food. Aluminum foil is thin and light, which can be folded and sealed as needed to keep the freshness and quality of food.
3. Paper
Paper, as a food soft packaging material, is mainly used to package some foods that do not need to be stored for a long time, such as bread and cakes. Paper has the characteristics of good air permeability and easy recycling, so it is widely used in some areas with high environmental awareness.
Environmental protection problems and solutions of food flexible packaging
Food soft packaging not only provides convenience, but also brings some environmental pollution problems. Materials such as plastic film are often difficult to degrade, which easily causes white pollution and has a negative impact on the environment. In order to solve these problems, people put forward a series of solutions:
1. Promote degradable materials
Choosing degradable packaging materials is one of the important directions to solve the environmental protection problem of food flexible packaging. At present, some degradable plastics have been applied in food packaging, which can be decomposed into harmless substances under certain conditions and reduce the impact on the environment.
2. Enhance recyclability
Improving the recyclability of food soft packaging is another important measure to reduce environmental pollution. By developing recyclable packaging materials and building a perfect recycling system, waste food soft packaging materials can be classified and recycled, and their resource value can be reused.
3. Reduce packaging waste
Profit and loss should be balanced, and proper packaging is understandable, but excessive packaging will increase the generation of waste. Reasonable design of packaging form and packaging capacity and reduction of unnecessary packaging materials can effectively reduce the amount of packaging waste.
To sum up, as a convenient packaging form, food flexible packaging has the characteristics of portability, good sealing and strong deformability. However, due to the increasing awareness of advocating environmental protection, we need to seek more environmentally friendly food flexible packaging materials and programs to reduce the impact on the environment and achieve sustainable development.
